Sport
14 June, 2026
‘The People’s Cup’ heading back to the Southern Highlands
Local racing enthusiasts are in for a treat with the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour heading back to the Southern Highlands for a second consecutive year.
Local racing enthusiasts are in for a treat with the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour heading back to the Southern Highlands for a second consecutive year.
Details of this year’s tour have been revealed and Bowral has been named as one of only six NSW stops – and one of only five in NSW outside of Sydney.
The Cup – now valued at $1 million – will be in Bowral on Wednesday, August 27.
The Southern Wire understands it will be on display at the Wyeera racetrack on Kangaloon Road – giving the Bong Bong Picnic Race Club another reason to celebrate as it gears up for its 140th anniversary celebrations in November.
There are 37 destinations on this year’s tour, which will take in remote red dirt towns of outback Australia as well as some of the world’s most iconic tracks in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Japan.
Since the inaugural Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour in in 2003, ‘The People’s Cup’ as it is affectionately known has travelled more one million kilometres and has visited more than 780 destinations.
This year will see the return of the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep, with 24 rural and regional destinations – including Bowral – to be allocated a barrier in this year’s race.
The winner of the sweep will win a share of $50,000 for a charity of their choice.
"When the Tour first began in 2003, we never imagined it would evolve into such a significant event that deeply connects with communities not only throughout Australia, but around the world,” Victorian Racing Club (VRC) chief executive Kylie Rogers said this week.
“Yet year after year, its momentum continues to grow," Ms Rogers said.
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